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Evolution Gym members are the best in the country and to test their mettle, fitness and tenacity we designed a 12 month challenge to find the best all round male and female athletes in the gym. Not only that it sets a personal challenge to everyone one of us to challenge ourselves to undertake events inside and outside our comfort zones. Not everyone can be a superhero but we can all learn new skills and be the best we can be in each event.

Each month we had a different challenge:

Jan Row

Feb Plank

Mar Bench your bodyweight

Apr Pull ups

May Mile Run

Jun Dips

Jul Handstand press-up

Aug Crucifix hold

Sep Viking Press bodyweight

Oct Press ups in one minute

Nov Leg press 1 minute

Dec Medley

Scores were calculated with 10 for a first place through to 1 point for 10th.

Each month we had a winner, but the collection of points was the goal so you didn’t necessarily need to win to become the superhero but be consistent.

Our first winners were Adam Walker and Nichola Fuller in the row back in January 2017.

So after 12 months of gruelling events who were our SUPERHEROES?

Well the two athletes with the best all round ability and skills were:

This article is reproduced from the Running Bug blog and is very informative. Hard running mimics hard training this gives food for thought to serious gym trainers .

The Running bug blog – Dietary iron is a necessity for women and men of all ages, but the vast majority are not getting their recommended daily amount. Fiona Buglar reveals what runners need to know about their iron needs.
A runner’s guide to avoiding iron deficiency

How much iron do we need?
The recommended daily requirement is 14.8mg (note taking more than 17mg iron can be dangerous and needs to be approved by your GP). Post-menopausal women and men need 8.7mg a day. But according to a Department of Health survey, the National Dietary and Nutritional Survey: adults aged 16-64. (Volume 3. London UK, 2003), over 91 percent of women aged 16 to 64 in the UK are not getting sufficient iron from their diet. And The Food Standards Agency estimates a quarter of all women aged 19 to 64 have a seriously low intake of iron.

Sports nutritionist, Lucy Ann Prideaux, http://www.simply-nutrition.co.uk says there are two main reasons women are prone to iron deficiency: “The monthly menstrual bloodloss and therefore iron/haemoglobin loss coupled with a poor diet or insufficient absorbable iron in the diet.”

Are runners prone to deficiency?

We have studies that suggest up to 50% of female runners are iron deficient. Foot strike haemolysis is caused by the red blood cells in the feet breaking down as the foot hits the ground. Heavier, muscular runners who train on hard surfaces tend to suffer more from this condition which leaves feet swollen and burning hot after a run – as well as iron-deficient.

Iron can also be lost in the faeces and as up to 85% of runners test positive for blood in their stools following a strenuous run this can be a problem too. We also have a larger blood volume, so need to have a higher level of hemoglobin and serum ferritin than non-runners to be healthy.

Are you iron deficient?

You need iron in your blood to get oxygen to your muscles. If you have the symptoms of iron deficiency listed below, you should get yourself tested having both your haemoglobin and serum ferritin levels checked out.

Warriors come out to play

Symptoms include:

Elevated heart rate

Poor/reduced performance

Easily exhausted

Less enthusiasm for running and feeling very tired

Irritability

Feeling the cold – especially hands and feet

A poor appetite

Pale skin

Shortness of breath

Headache

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Inflammation or soreness of your tongue

Brittle nails

Unusual cravings (dirt, ice etc)

Restless legs syndrome

Iron maiden food

The best sources of HAEM iron (which is the most absorbable iron) include liver, beef, but also poultry (especially the darker wing meat). Eggs are also a worthwhile source.

All round health-booster oily fish is also great, for example sardines contain 5.8mg in one small tin.

The National Three Peaks Challenge is an event in which participants attempt to climb the highest mountains of England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours. It is frequently used to raise money for charitable organisations. Walkers climb each peak in turn, and are driven from the foot of one mountain to the next. The three peaks are:

The total distance walked is estimated at 42 kilometres (26 mi) or 44 km (27 mi), with a total ascent of 9,800 feet (3,000 m).

Team Evo are taking this on in aid of the Derbyshire and Yorkshire Air Ambulances. The trick is to complete the climbs in 11 hours and that leaves 13 hours for the drive. That makes drivers as important as hikers.

Team Evo has been training hard all year for this event with many hills climbed, 10ks and half marathons run and lots of sitting down which will happen a lot in between the three mountains.

Team Evo planning meeting
Ronald Turnbull argues that it makes sense to tackle the summits from north to south, starting at Ben Nevis in the evening, and ending at Snowdon the following day. This is because the descent of Ben Nevis is the easiest of the three to do in fading light, particularly the lower section below Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe (“Half-Way Lochan”), and because the night can be used for driving down the A74(M) and M74 motorways to Scafell Pike. This then entails climbing Scafell Pike early the following morning and driving to Snowdonia for the early afternoon, in order to climb Snowdon and descend again by the evening. Scafell Pike can be climbed either from the north side starting at Seathwaite (Borrowdale) or from the south side, starting at Wasdale Head. The Wasdale approach is a longer drive but provides a shorter walk. Snowdon is climbed from Pen-y-Pass, although an alternative descent leads to Llanberis, and takes an additional 15 minutes.

Each mountain is expected to take up to 5 hours to climb and descend for a “standard strong walker”, and a total driving time of 10 hours allows an average speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) on motorways and 50–55 mph (80–89 km/h) on trunk roads and occasional comfort breaks and fuel stops.

Variations of the basic format have also been achieved, such as replacing the driving sections with the use of public transport, or sailing between the three peaks across the Irish Sea.

Just giving page Team Evo three Peaks
The Yorkshire and Derbyshire air ambulances are the reason we are taking to the mountains. Here’s a little information about the work they do and how they are funded (by people like you and me).

We could need them at any time and as a team we have benefitted already from them saving the lives of our family and friends.

A SERVICE THAT PROVIDES

STATE-OF-THE-ART EMERGENCY CARE

The Charity was set up in 2000 and with the addition of the second Air Ambulance in October 2007, we were the first Air Ambulance in the UK to own and operate a Dedicated Air Desk in the UK. With the addition of the Air Ways Communication Systems, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has developed into a sophisticated emergency service that provides state-of-the-art emergency medical care throughout Yorkshire.

The swift medical interventions provided by our Air Ambulance crews have a major impact on a patient’s chance of survival and subsequent quality of life.

Yorkshire has a vast topography that not only includes remote, rural and densely populated areas but also includes major motorways and road networks such as the M62, M1, A1 and M18.

The fast medical response that the Air Ambulance service provides is vital to a patient who has received major trauma, especially those with head and spinal injuries, as the Air Ambulance can avoid traffic congestion and uneven road surfaces.

On average, when a patient has been received by the YAA, they will always be only 10 minutes from the nearest hospital and 15 minutes from the most relevant treatment centre. In some cases, this can save people’s lives.

Both of Yorkshire’s Air Ambulances are Airbus H145’s, G-YAAC and G-YOAA. They’re each equipped with state-of-the-art medical and helicopter specifications. Both helicopters can reach speeds of up to 160 mph and together cover the whole of the region seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Once again I see that money is a relevant requirement to staying involved as a pro in our sport. Certain organizations require that to maintain Pro eligibility you must keep dues current at all times.

What if someone is having a year out due to finances being tight yet to maintain the right to pro status they need to pay the fees anyway, how wrong is that?.

If you are not competing you shouldn’t be forced to pay a membership. I might be wrong but I cant think of ANY business that you pay for if you are not using.

In bodybuilding you can actually lose your right to be considered a Pro in some organisations possibly because you cant afford it!

The DFAC will only charge membership for the year you compete and will never charge athletes just to maintain Pro status.

In addition the DFAC don’t charge promoters sanction fees. We don’t believe in charging promoters to help build our brand of natural bodybuilding. We believe in working as a team with promoters to get structure and to develop this sport from grass roots.

Without athletes there is no organisation!!!

Paying for a service you are not using is ludicrous unless you are the one collecting the money.

WADA Compliant!, Real WADA Testing!
I see the above statements from a number of organisations, but do these organisations really follow WADA Guidelines?

Firstly, the T/E Ratio (Testosterone/Epitestosterone Ratio) – if a T/E Raio exceeds 4/1 ( Not 6/1 ) it will be considered atypical and an IRMS test should be performed to determine whether the testosterone is of exogenous or endogenous origin. Can your organisation of choice offer that option?

There are many laboratories that can offer steroid, pro-hormone and stimulant detection. But only WADA approved labs can offer detection of SARMs, SERMs, Peptide Hormones including Growth Hormone Releasing peptides, etc. So, does your organisation of choice use a fully WADA Compliant Lab?

Section S3 of the WADA Prohibited List states that “All selective and non-selective beta-2agonists, including all optical isomers are prohibited “. However, some organisations seem quite happy to allow the use of some beta-2agonists and are, also, willing to overlook the use of some stimulants.

The BNBF/DFAC are committed to giving competitors a level playing field. We use WADA Guidelines and our testing is carried out at a fully compliant WADA Laboratory.

Hopefully other organisations can offer you the same standard of service.